Blinds to conceal hunters from overflying waterfowl are well known in the art. An example of a xe2x80x9cmirroredxe2x80x9d blind designed to reflect the blind""s surroundings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,960. Some blinds are also themselves configured as waterfowl, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,501,517, 4,581,837, 5,075,999, 5,678,346, and Des. No. 391,617, all of which blinds are designed to conceal a hunter.
While dogs are used to retrieve fowl shot by hunters, little attention has been paid to an effective means to restrain the dogs and hide them from the fowl which would also promote easy release at an appropriate time. Many hunters keep their dogs inside a so-called xe2x80x9cpitxe2x80x9d blind dug into the earth, an approach which causes obvious problems getting a dog into and out of the blind. Pit blinds also have the disadvantage of being limited to one permanent location, while geese move from field to field in order to feed. Other hunters will just leave the dog sitting near the blind. In recent years, camouflage vests for dogs have become available. This approach does help camouflage the dog, but does not provide a restraint mechanism. In either instance, a dog left outside of the blind must be well-trained to remain motionless and not walk amongst the decoys placed near the blind when fowl are spotted. This is particularly critical when hunting geese, which have very keen eyesight and can detect very small movements. Of course, a hunter might very well place the dog in a standard kennel near his blind, but any object which is perceived by a goose as not xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d to the field or to the decoy spread can flare (i.e., spook) the birds.
While the blind disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,960 optionally employs a door at one side thereof for release of a dog, restraining an excitable dog in the same blind with hunters and loaded shotguns is undesirable, for obvious reasons. The blind of the ""960 patent, with its reflective sides, also does not rely on blending in with the other decoys, but rather relies on its visual resemblance (through reflection thereof) to the surrounding terrain and topographical features.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple but effective enclosure for dogs in the field which will not only physically restrain a dog and also permit selective and rapid release of the dog when desired, but which will otherwise hide the dog and his or movements from the keen-eyed quarry without raising its suspicions.
The present invention comprises a hunting blind for a dog which is configured as a waterfowl decoy and, more specifically, as a goose. The inventive blind will conceal and restrain a dog without having to place an object, such as a standard kennel, in the field, which might appear foreign or strange to a goose. Thus, the dog may be hidden as well as restrained when the hunters"" guns are fired until it is deemed necessary to release the dog to retrieve the downed geese. In addition, the blind serves as a shelter protecting the dog from the elements.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the waterfowl body is configured as a hollow shell, and a door is provided within the chest portion of the body shell for entry and exit by the dog. It is also contemplated that the blind will be configured as a feeding goose, with its neck and head protruding in front of the chest for providing concealment of the door and minimizing the height of the blind in comparison to an upstanding or xe2x80x9csentryxe2x80x9d style configuration of a goose exhibiting a raised head. This format will assist the blind in blending in with standard decoy shells employed by the hunter. The xe2x80x9cfeederxe2x80x9d configuration is also less alarming to overflying geese, being indicative of a calmer group of geese on the ground.
An optional automatic door release and/or closure mechanism may be provided with the inventive blind, and an optional floor may be provided as well.